Egg carrier



Sept. 23 1924. 1,509,477

' MKASSER EGG CARRIER Filed Feb. '7. 192s INVENTOR. df/5 .Ziff/5ATTORNEYS.

` transporting eggs,

Patented Sept. 23, 1924.

ini

MORRIS KASSEIR, 0F SAN FRANGISCO, CALIFORNIA.'

EGG CARRIER.

Application led February 7, 1923. Serial No. 617,435.

To ait whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, MORRIS Kassnn, a citizen of the United States, and aresident of the city and county of San Francisco, in the State ofCalifornia, have invented a newv and useful Egg Carrier, of which thefollowing is a speci cation. v

rIbis invention relates to a device for and more particularly to acarrier for eggs that may be quickly unloaded by'a comparatively simpleoperation.

It is often necessary, either before or after eggs have reached adistribution point, to apply certain tests for determining whether theyare of the desired quality. Again, eggs are sometimes removed from thecrates and replaced after they have 'been subjected to a preservingprocess. For other purposes also, it has been found necessary toconveyeggs from place to place in comparatively small quantities and todeposit them'nally into an egg crate. It is one of the objects of myvinvention to provide a simple egg carrier that may be utilized, for thetransportation of eggs for any or all of the purposes enumerated.

It is still an other object of my invention to provide such a carrierwhich may be operated to release the eggs in a very simplel manner, asby a slight rotation of anmember associated with the carrier.

It is still an other object of my invention to provide an egg carrierhaving cells for the accommodation of the eggs that are formed frommaterial suiiiciently resilient to permit the accommodation of varioussizes of eggs without danger of-injuring them. y

My invention possesses other advantageous features, some of which, withthe foregoing, will be set forth at length in the I 4followingdescription where I shall outline 'accompanying and l ent specification.

in full those forms of my invention which I have selected forillustration inthe drawings forming part of the pres- Although I haveshown Y but a few embodiments of-my invention in the drawings, it is tobe understood that I do not desire to be limited thereto, since theinvention as expressed in the claims may be embodied in other formsalso.

Referring to the drawings:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of an egg carrier embodying my invention;

Fig. 2A is a side elevation of the carrier shown in Fig. 1;

Fig.' 3 is a detail section view taken along plane 3-3 of Fig. l; andFig. 4: is a detail view of a modification. The egg carrier has "abottom frame 11 and a top frame 12. rIhe Y eggs 13 are adapted to rest,preferably in an upright position, upon supports in thelower frame 11and to be' supported at their sides by the upper frame 12. The bottomframe 11 is formed in such a way that it has apertures large enough topermit the eggs 13 to drop through, but while carrying eggs, theseapertures are out of alinement with the eggs, and they are thusprevented from passing through these passageways. In the presentinstance, a series of parallel wires 14 is used to form the apertures.These wires may be strung back and forth on pins or screws l15 locatedon two opposite sides of the frame 11, or else, as shown in Fig. 4, theymay be disposed in horizontal slots 16 whereby they may frame 11 ispreferably made from a foursided, open casting, that facilitates thearrangement of these wires of rectangular apertures- The wires 14 areflexible, so that they give under the impact of the falling egg, thusproviding a cushion which reduces the liability of egg breakage to aminimum.

In order to aline these apertures with the eggs 13 so that they may dropthrough frame 11, the upper and lower frames are movable laterally withrespect to each other. For this purpose a plurality of links 17 areprovided, which pivotally connect to both frames 11 and 12. As shown ingreater detail--in Fig. 3, the frame 12 may be moved overtoward the leftof frame 11 and guided by the links 17 which rotate in acounterclockwise direction and cause a slight lifting have a limitedlateral movement. The' 14 to form a series t of frame 12 as well as alateral movement.

The frame 12 in this position is indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 2.The movement is limited by appropriate stops, such as shoulders 18 onframe 11, adapted to engage with the edge of links 17. To move the upper`fraine 12 into this position, it is merely necessary to provide aturning torque to the links 17, and this may be accomplished by applyinga horizontal force against the right hand edge of frame 12. 'Thearrangement is furthermore such that upon release of the frame y12, itdrops -back into the full line position on top of frame 11.

The upper frame"12iis divided into a series of square cellularcompartments 19, by the aid of resilient metal strips 20, arranged atright angles to each other. These strips dovetail together, in a mannerentirely similar to that cf the pasteboard strips used in egg crates fersupporting eggs therein. The strips 20 have slots or notches 21 whichextend substantially half way through the Width of the strips, and whichmake it possible for the strips to dovetail properly together. Therather wide, say about an eighth or a quarter of an inch, in order thatthe strips 2O may have some freedom of movement relative to each otherand thus to provide compartments l19 of variable size.. This is usefulwhere eggs of varying sizes are to be -accommodated and it is for thisreason also that strips 2U are made flexible.

The strips 20 are held in frame 12 by the aid of Wires or rods 22 uponwhich these strips are strung. These wires 22 are .appropriatelyfastened into the sides of frame 12, and pass through apertures 23 inthe strips. These apertures are purposely made large enough so as topermit the resilient strips 20 a large amount of play.

he carrying position of frame 12 is that shown in 1, where wires 14 ofthe lower frame 11 extend substantially through the centers of the eggcompartments 19. The eggs 13 rest on these Wires 'ind are supported inan upright position by the aid of' the strips 20. To unload the eggs 13,frame 12 is moved to the left so that wires 14: fall directly under thevertical strips 20, and there is no longer any hindrance to the passageof the eggs through the lower fra-me.

Although, as pointed out heretofore, a. orce exerted against the side offrame 12 may be used to cause alinement of the apertures, there may beprovided a rotatable operating member for effecting this result. For 'spurpose a pair of projections are provided on the lower frame, withinwhich keys 2 5 may be rotated. Slots 26 in these projections permit theinsertion of the keys, which have an operating portion 27 adapted tocoact with the bottom surface of a ledge or boss 28 projecting from theupper frame 12. It is evident that by turning the keys 25 in acountercloekwise direction, they serve to lift up and move over to theleft the entire upper frame 12. In the present instance the keys 25 areshown as made integral with links 29 of a flexible sprocket chain, themovement of which link over appropriate guides serving to operate thekey, but it is of course possible tov operate the keys 25 in many otherways.

Although there is little possibility of one or more eggs getting stuckWithin the frame 11, I provide s device for positively closing theframe. This may operate without in: jury to the eg `due to the resilientnature of the strips 20 as well as to heir freedom slots or notches 21are made' 4being halved together,

of play. To effect this closure, a pair of links 29 pivotally connectingthe two frames are provided, which links have projections 30. Theseprojections may be positively engaged, either' manually or by somemechanism, to rotate the links in a clockwise direction to close theframe.

i The operation of the device is believed to be evident from theforegoing description. The arrangement of the compartments 19 ispurposely made the same as that in standard egg crates, and the carriermay be positioned directly over such an egg crate and unloaded therein.The reverse operation of loading the carrier from an egg crate consistsin lift ing out a whole layer of eggs from the crate, with itspasteboard structure upon a fiat plate or shoveldepositing the plate ontop of frame 12 so as to aline the eggs thereon with the compartments19, and withdrawing the plate, which latter act permits the eggs to fallinto the carrier.

I claim:

1. An egg carrier comprising a pair of relatively movable frames havingapertures extending through the frames, and means for moving the framesto aline the apertures.

2. An egg carrier comprising a pair of frames having apertures, linkconnections between the frames, and means for swinging the framesrelatively to each other to aline the apertures.

`3. An egg carrier comprising a frame, and a plurality of verticallydisposed thin flexible metallic strips extending across said frame atright angles to each other and loosely joined to the frame to provide aplu- 'rality of egg receiving compartments of variable size.

4. An egg carrier comprising a frame and a plurality of angularlymovable vertical? disposed thin iexible metallic strips exten ing acrosssaid frame at right angles to each other to provide a plurality of eggreceiving compartments of variable size.

n egg carrier .comprising a frame, a series of thin metallic fiexiblestrips extending across the frame in one direction, a Second series ofthin metallic flexible stri s extending across the frame at ri ht ang esto said first series, both of sait? series of strips being notched andsaid two series the notches bein of greater width than the metaltopermit lateral movement of the strips.

6. An egg carrier comprising a pair of superposed frames havingapertures, and a rotatable member for alining the apertures in the twoframes. y

7. Au egg carrier' comprising a pair of superposed frames havingapertures, and a key rotatable in one of the frames for moving the otherframe so' as to aline the apertures. l

ln an egg carrier, a pair of superposed frames, and means fordischarging eggs from the carrier, comprising means whereby one framemay be made to move relatively to the other.

9. ln an eg carrier, a pair of superposed relative y movable' connectedframes, parallel wires extending across the open bottom of the lowerframe, and means forming cellular compartments in the upper frame.

l0. ln an egg carrier, a pair of superposed, relatively movableconnected frames, parallel wires extending across the open bottom of thelower frame, and iexible me tallic strips forming cellular compartmentsin the upper frame.V

ll. ln an egg carrier, a pair of superposed, connected frames, saidframes having apertures capable of alinement, means for moving theframes relatively so as to aline the apertures, and separate means formoving the frames so as to destroy the alinement.

l2. ln an egg carrier, a pair of superposed frames, links connecting theframes, said frames having apertures capable of alinement, and means formoving the frames relatively so as to aline the apertures, comprising akey .rotatable in one of said frames, said key having an operatingortion coacting with a surface on the other rame. l 13. In an eggcarrier, a pair of superposed frames, said frames having aperturescapable of alinement, links 4connecting the frames whereby they may bemoved relatively to each other While maintaining their parallelism, andmeans for limiting the movement of the frames, said links being soarranged that there is a gravital tendenc)T for the frames to return toa position Where apertures are out of alinement.

14. In an egg carrier, a pair of superposed, relatively movableconnected frames, parallel flexible wires extending across the lowerframe and means forming cellular compartments in the upper frame, saidflexible Wires normally lying below and in line with the compartments tosupport articles contained-in the compartments.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set m hand.

y MORRIS KASSER.

